Riot police called into Rally OZ

[Donnaracer]

To not further denigrate the event, which I agree was a phenomenal success, organisers, the police and local media did not discuss some other, downright illegal things that took place which should be known so we can get a clear understanding of the scum we are dealing with here who like to break the law, harass and hurt others under the guise of "peacefully protecting the environment from eco vandalism"...yeah right...

Such as Toshi Arai's WRC car being attacked by a greenie who ran out of his house with a golf club causing significant glass damage (this happened on the way to the Murwillumbah night stage on Thursday)

The greenies who kicked and punched cars as they tried to get to various service points and the lovely racist terms to which they referred to the visiting drivers such as "chink", "wog", "frog" and f#*ken finns etc. Just disgraceful.

After the shenanigans that took place with the rock throwing and standing in front of cars on Thursday, the police took control (finally) and it was hilarious to see the sight of a mad policeman on his trail bike, chasing a long haired, tree hugging, unemployed and totally useless hippie up a hill...! This was repeated several times to clear the stages.

Why is it OK for these animals (and that is offending wildlife by referring to them as such) to break the law whenever they feel like it?

Also, they say democracy is dead - when 85,000 people live in the NSW Northern Rivers Region and less than 100 or so don't want it - that is democracy - majority rules - or have I missed something.

As for the councillor who did the big, brave Federal Court injunction, you miserable gutter dwellers better dig deep to find the money to pay for it, because f*#k me if it will be the ratepayers to cover her ill thought fray into legal action - talk about doing it late as well. This same so called representative has never agreed to any council motion since joining, she is there for the sake of disagreeing and nothing more. Get a life.

Anyway, it is all a load of crap, because in the end they have managed to not disrupt the WRC event, but give the ugly Australian image all over the world and the funniest thing is, they will be back in two years time to do it all over again - bloody morons.

- Defacing public property (signs and roads)- breaking the law
- Tresspass on Private Property - All but two of the stages of the rally were held on private property with the permission of the landowners. Of course the greenies still cut fences to let cows and other animals out - (real care for animals and human life shown there) and threw rocks from properties in which they should not have been on.
- Threatening to kill / hurt - Assaults on drivers, team personnel and the public were unforgiveable and again, illegal.
- Changing sign directions and placing new signs - This while also dangerous, was considered fun by the No Rally group, who turned signs to face the wrong way and had their own crappy signs made that said "No Rally today" or "Stage Cancelled" etc. If not for the crappy spelling and handmade nature of them, they would have caused havoc.

You greenies would get more done if you presented a logical and intelligent argument but accepted that majority rules and the fact that the roads were safer during the rally, then during a normal weekday, such was the supervision of the event and skill of the drivers. It was more about hiding their hooch crops and their smoke pouring kombi vans and trucks that haven't seen an automotive workshop since the day they were bought.

You are the lowest of the low and all of you are sell outs. I bet that if Citroen offered every single offended greenie a new car, you would take it. Just like your former leader and friend of the world, Peter Garrett, who signed off on a new Uranium Mine just recently - yep nothing greener than that. You are a pack of hypocrites.

Anyway the rally was the best fun from what everyone reports. Would be a shame for the region to lose it due to this small group of invasive, unethical and law breaking people.

[PVDA]

Well put donnaracer.

There are a few reports on another rally based aussie forum showing photo's of the damaged rear window of a local rally car and several witness reports on the goings on at RRA last weekend.

[TSK]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

'Someone' threw a rock through one of the rear windscreens of one the Australian competitors, detectives out there could probably figure out who it was, but I'm waiting to talk to them today to find out if the nitty gritty, and that if the BS is for public consumption. Put basically, some of the antics and rolling roadblocks weren't entirely intelligent... Stay tuned to this station...

The service crew / brother of this competitor has made a brief comment about this particular incident on another public forum.
In the meantime, here's a couple of 'happy snaps' of the event that I've come across:
'Hail damage' on Toshi Arai's car:
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3

Police escort around rock at the finish control at the end of the cancelled stage:
Photo 1
Photo 2

[retro]

linky...

Protesters provoke road breach

Leonie Brann | 10th September 2009


SCOTT Sledge, the face of protest group No Rally, will face Murwillumbah Local Court next month charged with allegedly vandalising road signs with anti-rally slogans.

Tweed Police are also investigating claims the driver of a purple car dumped the carcasses of a possum, rabbit and cat in Clothiers Creek Road, at Clothiers Creek, in the early hours of Monday morning after the Repco Rally Australia wound down on Sunday night.

They want to speak with two men photographed at the time when rocks and boulders were left on the rally track at Byrrill Creek on Friday, forcing rally organisers to cancel the stage.

Police are also investigating a 'go-slow' protest that one senior officer described as provocative and a nuisance. Protesters purposely drove their cars at a crawl's pace on a transport stage, provoking rally drivers into overtaking them on double white lines.

Sledge, 61, of Lillian Rock, near Nimbin, was charged on September 3 with the intentional or reckless destroy or damage of property and will answer the charges on October 7, a clerk of the Murwillumbah court confirmed yesterday.

“One protester was charged with malicious damage for spray painting anti-rally slogans on Kyogle Road and every other sign along 10km of the Kyogle Road,” said Superintendent Michael Kenny, of the Tweed Byron Local Area Command.

“Vandalising the speed signs and other signs that let people know about the road conditions ahead is not only inappropriate and illegal behaviour, it could create a dangerous situation.

“I call on the public to come forward with any information about this or other incidents during the rally.”

Police are also investigating claims rocks were thrown at rally cars driving on bitumen public roads by protesters on Sunday, smashing the rear window of one of the World Rally Championship vehicles.

Claims about up to “a dozen” protestors laying on the rally tracks at different locations and times from September 3 to 6 are also being investigated by police, Supt Kenny said.

Meanwhile, Repco Rally Australia has passed on to police an image of two men taken by a race marshal when boulders and logs were left on the road and rocks thrown at safety cars afternoon at Byrrill Creek, which forced organisers to cancel the stage.

Chairman of the organising committee for Repco Rally Australia, Garry Connelly, said not only were logs and boulders placed on the track, they were replaced after being removed by race marshals.

“When the double zero car (safety car) came through an activist jumped out in front of it,” said Mr Connelly.

“Throwing rocks and leaving boulders on the road in the middle of a high-speed stage is extremely dangerous and I don't think you could get any bigger than that if something had gone wrong.

“If one of the cars had hit the boulders at speed, who knows what would have happened. It could have not only injured the drivers, but could have bounced off and hit officials, spectators or even the protesters.”

But Mr Connelly welcomed the “peaceful and lawful protests” against the rally held last weekend.

“We see that there are to very different elements involved in the protests around the rally,” he said.

“There are the lawful and peaceful protestors that have a right to voice their opposition to the rally, and then there is a small rogue element of activists who are making trouble for everybody.”

Claims of rock throwing were rejected by Sledge when he contacted The Tweed Daily News yesterday.

“We have allegations of dangerous actions by protesters that have reached a crescendo and now amount to vilification,” he said, adding protesters were harassed by pro-rally supporters.

“There have been no reports of frozen road kill left on the track, and there is no evidence whatsoever of rocks being thrown at the rally cars.

“Our bottom line is that we make sure no-one gets hurt.”

Anyone with information should contact Tweed Heads Police on 5536 0999

If you follow Motor Sport be careful who you vote for...

[Kiwi3]

Donnaracer, I object to you referring to those morons as environmentalists. They are obviously a bunch of losers that have found something to protest about, but it appears they have little regard for the environment nor I believe they would have much understanding of environmental issues. Environmentalists they are not.

[bazil]

Originally Posted by retro

linky...

Claims about up to “a dozen” protestors laying on the rally tracks at different locations and times from September 3 to 6 are also being investigated by police, Supt Kenny said.

How many of these ferals did they rally boys hit??? They are only worth a couple of points each if they are laying down, but 10 a pop if running...

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

Donnaracer, I object to you referring to those morons as environmentalists. They are obviously a bunch of losers that have found something to protest about, but it appears they have little regard for the environment nor I believe they would have much understanding of environmental issues. Environmentalists they are not.

I'm sure they call themselves environmentalists.

[another insider]

Having been down at the event from thursday till the sunday podium and witnessing some of the behaviour i'm sure that the true greenies would be quite embarrassed.The rolling road blocks were a very dangerous situation with some of the competitors having to take risks to ensure they were at checkpoints on time.Saturday there were about 50 cars including competitors behind one of the fume blowing roadblock untill some guys kindly intervened in a very large vehicle and moved the greens over.Not a good thing in normal circumstances but had to be done.The few protestors on the road at 6.00am on sunday morning ensured the whole enviro crowd were labelled as ferals.The rent a crowd that turned up on saturday and sunday only helped to bring negative exposure to there cause with most not even having any knowledge of what was actually taking place only what had been fed to them from organisers.Kate Milner may not have her position on the council for much longer.

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

I'm sure they call themselves environmentalists.

So what?

[retro]

Does that Scott Sledge look like a dodgy protester or what...?

[EGG]

After the shenanigans that took place with the rock throwing and standing in front of cars on Thursday, the police took control (finally) and it was hilarious to see the sight of a mad policeman on his trail bike, chasing a long haired, tree hugging, unemployed and totally useless hippie up a hill...! This was repeated several times to clear the stages.

Pics Donna!